The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG) Stock Rating Lowered by StockNews.com

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG - Get Free Report) was downgraded by investment analysts at StockNews.com from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. Piper Sandler increased their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 1st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price objective on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $140.00 to $133.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $118.00 to $117.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 11th. Raymond James raised their price objective on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, March 31st. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price target on The Hartford Financial Services Group from $139.00 to $142.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 28th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, The Hartford Financial Services Group has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $126.87.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Stock Performance

Shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group stock traded up $2.99 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $129.13. The company had a trading volume of 1,805,465 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,580,068. The Hartford Financial Services Group has a 1-year low of $98.16 and a 1-year high of $130.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 0.32 and a quick ratio of 0.32. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $120.15 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $116.01. The stock has a market cap of $36.69 billion, a PE ratio of 12.48, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.70.

The Hartford Financial Services Group (NYSE:HIG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 24th. The insurance provider reported $2.20 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.15 by $0.05. The Hartford Financial Services Group had a return on equity of 19.55% and a net margin of 11.72%. The firm had revenue of $6.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.97 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $2.34 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that The Hartford Financial Services Group will post 11.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at The Hartford Financial Services Group

In related news, CEO Christopher Swift sold 98,061 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.39, for a total value of $11,805,563.79. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 211,082 shares of the company's stock, valued at $25,412,161.98. This represents a 31.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Robert W. Paiano sold 13,138 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $117.20, for a total value of $1,539,773.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 31,678 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,712,661.60. This trade represents a 29.32% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 113,429 shares of company stock valued at $13,618,028. Company insiders own 1.50% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of The Hartford Financial Services Group

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. raised its stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 3,342.9% during the 4th quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 241 shares of the insurance provider's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 234 shares during the last quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. boosted its holdings in The Hartford Financial Services Group by 46.5% in the 4th quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. now owns 293 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Park Square Financial Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group by 146.2% during the 1st quarter. Park Square Financial Group LLC now owns 261 shares of the insurance provider's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 155 shares during the last quarter. Spurstone Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Center for Financial Planning Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of The Hartford Financial Services Group during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.42% of the company's stock.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Company Profile

The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides insurance and financial services to individual and business customers in the United States, the United Kingdom, and internationally. Its Commercial Lines segment offers insurance coverages, including workers' compensation, property, automobile, general and professional liability, package business, umbrella, fidelity and surety, marine, livestock, accident, health, and reinsurance through regional offices, branches, sales and policyholder service centers, independent retail agents and brokers, wholesale agents, and reinsurance brokers.